The Editorial in today's Washington Times highlights Iran's role in the mess that is Iraq
Evidence mounts of Iran's role in financing terrorist elements in Iraq, and the Bush administration appears to have decided -- correctly, in our view -- that it's time to step up the fight against the most brazen forms of Iranian subversion in Iraqi, particularly paying for roadside bombs that kill and maim American soldiers. President Bush's warning issued to Iran and its rogue-state ally Syria in his address to the nation last week was not made in a vacuum, but in the course of a stepped up U.S. military campaign to deny Iran and its agents the ability to operate freely in Iraq.
U.S. officials say that growing numbers of U.S. troops in Baghdad and other regions of Iraq where Shi'ite militias operate are being killed by explosive devices supplied by Iran. Last month, American forces captured members of an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard transferring explosives to Shi'ite militias. One official captured in Baghdad was the third-ranking man in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Quds force, which carries out intelligence activities and terrorist training outside Iran. U.S. forces found what appeared to be maps of Baghdad neighborhoods from which Sunnis could be removed, as well as evidence of the force's participation in Hezbollah's war against Israel last summer.
Read further at http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20070114-101502-3675r.htm
2 comments:
The US should be hitting Iran hard here, this is the best opportunity in decades to finally punish Iran for killing thousands of Americans in attacks like the Beirut bombing and the barracks in Saudi Arabia, plus funding Hezbollah to kill more Americans and Israelis.
Doesn't have to be a full-fledged invasion, just coordinated, heavy weaponry attacks from sea, air and ground to take out Iran's military facilities, nuclear program sites and supporting structures. The US has tremendous strength amassed in the Persian Gulf and, with troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq as well as in the local territorial waters, the US has never had a stronger presence there than now.
Iran, meanwhile, is weak, weaker even than before Saddam Hussein attacked them in 1980. Their crazy current President, Ahmidena-what's his name, is basically a sideshow-- it's the theocrats who hold the power there and they're about as firmly entrenched as anytime before. The sanctions are having no effect on Iran, and in fact Iran has even been increasing its exports recently.
The only way to stop Iran from going nuclear and continuing its terrorism in Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere is to hit them very hard, in coordinated strikes and teach them a lesson. This is the one best opportunity for the US to do it.
But so far, Bush and his counterparts in Britain and Israel are instead focusing on stupid appeasement (as though this has ever worked against fanatics). It would "irritate the international community" and expose US troops in Iraq to risk or something. Which is flat-out stupid-- the USA has twice fought big Shiite uprisings in Iraq and has humiliated them both times, in April and August of 2004. Iran, meanwhile, could not hit back against the US if the United States launched tough, strong, targeted strikes. Iran is too weak-- at least, for now, but the Iranians are so rapidly acquiring powerful weapons from Russia, that they'll have powerful conventional and nuclear arms within about half a year.
Thus, Bush and Rice's current appeasement strategy only gives Iran more time to arm itself and kill more Americans and Israelis. Which makes the inevitable oncoming war even more awful when it does come.
This is not the time to step back and indulge in denial and wishful thinking. An attack on Iran would produce only minor disruptions, since Iran is so weak and the US so powerful in the region. Now is the time to use that advantage to strike. Otherwise, if Bush, Blair and the Israeli government continue to hesitate and fail to strike Iran, then they will force the West to suffer its worst defeat in many centuries, with a new, horrible result. This is not a time to be hesitating like this. This is a rare moment to act with strength and resolve.
Thanks for the commentary. See my posts on 6th Jan "The War against Islamofascism" and 7th Jan "Eyeing Iran"
GWB faces a few problems with extending the war to Iran such as getting permission from a Democrat Congress to attack Iran, Europe especially France and Germany would be oppose it, Russia and China have been cosying up to Iran to secure oil supplies and supply them with armaments, and Iran would unleash attacks on Israel and would do their best to disrupt all oil supplies from the ME.
However, if Olmert could be persuaded to not be such a prick, then GWB could get Israel to use a tactical nuke on Iran and then rush in to defend Israel from any counter attack. They could sort out Syria at the same time.
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